02/2019 Procedures for Informing APHIS of a Company Name Change/Change in Ownership 1

Procedures for Informing APHIS of a Company Name Change/

Change in Ownership

If a company approved by the United State Department of Agriculture, Animal 

and Plant Health Inspection (APHIS) to handle regulated garbage undergoes a 

name change or a change in ownership, the company must submit a letter to 

the APHIS Administrator prior to or as soon as possible after the change 

occurs. The letter must describe either all changes (i.e. new ownership, 

management, location, procedures, etc.) or specifically state that all business 

practices, procedures, and location remain unchanged. The letter must be 

signed and dated by an official of the company, vested with the authority to 

make decisions on behalf of the company. The name and title of the signatory 

should be included under the signature. The letter from the company must also 

include a copy of the current regulated garbage compliance agreement.

The company must also notify local APHIS or Customs and Border Protection 

(CBP) Agriculture personnel, whichever agency is responsible for the 

regulated garbage compliance agreement, before or as soon as the name 

change or a change in ownership is made, as this change may invalidate the 

current regulated garbage compliance agreement.

If it can be confirmed that the company is undergoing a name change, and all 

other business practices, procedures, management, and location remain 

unchanged, an official letter will be sent to the company on behalf of the 

APHIS Administrator, recognizing the name change. The letter will also 

confirm the requirement for the company to enter into an updated regulated 

garbage compliance agreement with APHIS or CBP to reflect the name 

change.

If any other business practices, procedures, ownership, management, or 

location have changed along with the name of the company, then APHIS will 

determine if a new request for APHIS approval to handle regulated garbage 

will be required from the company. APHIS will notify the company in writing 

whether a new request for APHIS approval to handle regulated garbage will be 

required from the company.

Letters notifying APHIS of a name change or a change in ownership should be 

submitted electronically to the following address (this is the preferred method):

ppq.ops.regulated.garbage@aphis.usda.gov
Procedures for Informing APHIS of a Company Name Change/Change in Ownership

2 Procedures for Informing APHIS of a Company Name Change/Change in Ownership 02/2019 

Alternatively, the letter may be submitted in hard copy to the following 

address:

Administrator

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service c/o AQI VMO Director, PPQ 

Field Operations 2150 Centre Ave., Bldg. B

Ft. Collins, CO 80526

It is not necessary to send a letter both electronically and by hard copy.

If you have any questions about this procedure, please contact the Regulated 

Garbage Lead covering the state or territory where the facility is located. The 

contact information for the Regulated Garbage Lead can be found on the 

Regulated Garbage Website, “Contact Us” section: https://

www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/import-information/regulatedgarbage/ct_regulated_garbage.